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Dec 6, 2015

RELEASE DAY BLITZ : SHUT OFF by Cee Smith

With her career and his reputation on the line, not to mention a looming court case that could decide both of their fates, Blaire and Joel run the risk of losing it all. The secret’s out at the firm, and Joel wants Blaire as far removed from the case as possible, but she may be just what he needs to win.

Was it doomed from the start?

Blaire’s the first person Joel’s ever had a real connection with, but if he loses this case, their relationship may be over before it even begins.

Nothing worth having ever comes easy, but just how far are they willing to go?

Blaire didn’t know much about one-night stands, but she knew how they’re supposed to go. A night where inhibitions are thrown out, no names, no attachments, and in the morning you both go your separate ways, never to speak again. At least that’s what was supposed to happen.

Mother nature had other plans.

She established boundaries: No details, no more sex. But Joel was never much for following the rules. With a body built for sex and an appetite to match, one night with him would never be enough. Torn between the case that could make her legal career and a man who thinks of clothes as optional, how long could she stick to the rules?

Working at a law firm comes with its own set of rules, and Blaire has broken rule number one. Consorting with the opposition could get her fired. In the blink of an eye, all of her hopes, dreams, goals, and aspirations could be dismissed.

She knows this.

Joel, EJ—whoever he is—is the enemy. Persona non grata. Her mind is aware of his standing. But her body? Not so much. It remembers every moment shared. Every flirty smile and witty comeback. Every whispered word with carefully placed hands.

Falling into bed with him was easy. Getting him to stay away will be the hardest thing she’s ever faced.

“Blaire, I know we couldn’t have come at a worse time for you, but I don’t regret that night. I should have been more honest about my situation,” he said as he flipped the steaks over. “It was never my intention to draw you into this shit. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I thought you should know that.”

“Let’s talk about something else. We can deal with that later.”

He returned to cooking and asked, “You seem to know everything about me. Who is Blaire Banks? I probably should have found out before I brought you home. You’re not an axe murderer, are you? Shit, I did ask you if you were seeing anyone, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you don’t remember? You were practically naked in my living room. You asked if anyone was going to be fighting through the storm to make it back to me.” I chuckled lightly at the memory. He could have asked me the night before, but I barely remembered the sex we had, let alone a conversation between us, but what I did remember made my stomach curl in warmth and skin prickle with awareness.

“Oh, right. See, I’m a gentleman. You know code of honor and all that shit.”

“Don’t go getting ahead of yourself. And I’m sure you know by now I’m not an axe murderer. No crazy bones in this closet.”

“Let’s see, I’m the oldest daughter. The first time I left Iowa was when I went away to college eight years ago. So, the craziest thing I’d gotten into before moving to Vegas was cow-tipping and setting an abandoned shed on fire.”

“Great. You’re a pyro. That little tidbit of info would have been good to know before I gave you full reign over my kitchen. Do I need to put child locks on the cabinets?”

“Haha. Very funny. I mean I’ve had a fairly boring life.”

“And what about college? You didn’t find the man who would scoop you up and put his 2.5 kids in you?”

“I think he was too busy putting his 2.5 in someone else.”

“Oh. Shit, Blaire. What kind of fucking idiots were you dating? The smart ones would know to lock you down immediately.”

I stared into the marble slab, my fingers tracing patterns across the surface. Not that I considered myself ugly, but I liked to think I was plain, so when he said things like that so matter-of-fact, I didn’t know how to respond. I never was good at receiving compliments.

“Well, needless to say, I didn’t have much luck in that department.”

“I’d like to apologize on their behalf,” Joel said, pan in hand, making his way back over to the island. “You deserve better.”

He set the pan down and stood across from me, his eyes searing mine with sincerity and not quite love, but something else that made my heart pump excitedly in my chest. Ninety-nine percent of the time Joel was sarcastic, witty, and funny, so when he said things without any sign of a smirk or hint of laughter in his voice, it was disarming.

Cee Smith is a lover of the written word. Since first learning how to string a sentence together, she’s been putting pen to paper and hasn’t looked back. Though she’s no longer obsessed with blood and gore, the dark side still calls to her, often finding refuge in her current writings. Her addiction to reading is what finally inspired her to take a chance at publishing.

A California native, currently residing in North Carolina with her husband. She loves salacious stories, true love and forbidden romances—the more angst the better. Other than reading and writing, some of her other obsessions are peanut butter (don’t get her started), Michael Fassbender, and watching tv.

She loves talking about the creative process and what books she’s reading, so feel free to shoot her a line. Or if you just want to say hi that’s fine too. She swears she’ll respond.